An Olympian had his broken finger amputated so that he could compete at the Olympics.
Field hockey player Matt Dawson was not going to give this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity up, no matter the cost.
Instead of forfeiting his position after a serious injury to his ring finger on his right hand in the weeks before he was set to represent Australia, he decided to have part of his finger amputated so that he could compete.
Speaking to Australia’s 7News, he opened up about the difficult decision.
"I didn’t have much time to make the decision," Dawson, who was a member of the silver-winning team in Tokyo, told the outlet. "I made the decision then I called my wife and she said ‘I don’t want you to make a rash decision’."
However, the 30-year-old had already made up his mind.
"...I had all the information I needed to make a decision for not only playing in Paris, but for life after and giving myself the best health," he continued. "The best option was for me to take the top of my finger off. It’s a bit of a change at the moment and an exciting challenge, I guess."
Upon hearing the news, fans couldn't help but question why he would go to such great lengths.
"Not many of us can relate to that level of competitive drive," wrote one user on Instagram while another added: "Bro nerfed himsel forever when he could just play in the Olympics again in 4 years."
A third commented: "Bro really went from Olympics to Paralympics."
And this user added: "Damn, and I’ll still call into work slightly hungover!"
Three years ago, Dawson's team secured a silver medal after being beaten by Belgium at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. This time, they're aiming for the gold.
The team will enter the Olympics to take on Argentina on July 27 for their first match. They will then go on to compete against Ireland, Belgium, New Zealand, and India before the knockout matches begin.
The 2024 Olympic Games are set to commence on July 26.
